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PHOTOS: mercury – Minneapolis, MN 6/17/2024

Ben Pagani

If there’s a rock scene, there must be an underground. Right now evidence of subterranean rock culture is weaving its way onto stages at legendary spaces like DC9 in Washington, Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, Velvet Underground in Toronto, Canada and made-famous-by-Prince 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis. The acts taking these stages today look like Tennessee-based band mercury.

Mercury are currently wrapping up a tour with Dreamer Boy. These young performers certainly have their own brand of rock to share with audiences. It’s a shoegazey type that draws influence from Mazzy Star, whose (as legend has it) song “Fade Into You” blasted while mercury’s singer Maddie Kerr was born. Kerr’s songwriting is at the forefront of this very loud band.

Kerr wrote mercury’s track “I Don’t Know You Like I Used To” in 2022. The song has garnered over 3 million Spotify streams. It’s been featured on the popular “Undercurrents” and “New Noise” playlists.

But the most important songs mercury is playing on their current stretch of tour dates came out earlier this June. They are figuratively and literally attacking stages to perform songs from a new collection called Together We Are One, You And I. This triad of tracks came out June 7 via Big Loud Rock. Its first tune “Born In May” is a reference to Kerr’s borderline-immaculate birth. She tells audiences how special the track is to her heart before distracting them with rupturing guitars and a strong vocal performance. 

“It was the first time in a while I’ve allowed myself to put my emotions into words and to tell myself that it’s okay, I’m allowed to be hurt,” Kerr said of the song. Listen to “Born In May” and watch the official short film accompanying Together We Are One, You And I here.

Loudness is commonplace throughout mercury’s set. Their guitarists and bassist clash from shoulder to shoulder and swing their instruments around the stage. Kerr herself is barely seen throughout the set. She might stand in the center, but she looks like one rocking mop of hair eating a microphone.

mercury

Kerr is somewhere in there harmonizing.

Mercury is wrapping up its ongoing live run this month with more performances at notable venues. On June 28 they will play The Blue Room at Jack White’s Third Man Records Nashville location, a homecoming of sorts for these Tennesseans. Mercury will also headline Gold-Diggers in Los Angeles on August 24.

PHOTOS: mercury – Minneapolis, MN 6/17/2024:

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Ben Pagani
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Ben Pagani

Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS' Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as 'DJ Wearing Sunglasses' in clubs and basements across the US.